Disappearing

 The elders are disappearing across the world

There but not there, alive but not living
Theirs is slow marching into a fog
Of memory, confusion and time
They can never get themselves back
The architecture of their brains
Is crumbling unpredictably
No hope of repair
Once vibrant, they are now children
To their caregivers, daily sustained by love
Sleep for them is comforting escape
Dreams become hallucinations
Small intimacies may still accumulate
Who are you? Why are you in my house?
Will the TV harm us? Will the TV harm us? Will the TV harm us?
Why do I have to take this medicine?
Are our children dead? Can we go see them?
Questions requiring tailored answers
You must enter their world
A world as real to them as yours is to you
Smiles are little saviors
Something still alive in their eyes
Best to avoid any visions of their exit
Best with both feet planted in now